This review dissects the process of clinical decision making—and the environment in which decisions are made—to present a model for understanding how even well intentioned physicians may be susceptible to stereotyping and unknowingly contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in health care. Several strategies to counteract this process, both systematically and individually, are also described.
Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, MPH
Owusu Ananeh-Firempong II, BS
Cardiovascular Reviews and Reports, Vol. 25, No. 3 

UnderstandingPrejudice.org was established in 2002 with funding from the National Science Foundation (Grant Number 9950517) and McGraw-Hill Higher Education. The purpose of the site is to offer educational resources and information on prejudice, discrimination, multiculturalism, and diversity, with the ultimate goal of reducing the level of intolerance and bias in contemporary society.

Implicit biases involve associations outside conscious awareness that lead to a negative evaluation of a person on the basis of irrelevant characteristics such as race or gender. This review examines the evidence that healthcare professionals display implicit biases towards patients. Implicit biases involve associations outside conscious awareness that lead to a negative evaluation of a person on the basis of irrelevant characteristics such as race or gender. This review examines the evidence that healthcare professionals display implicit biases towards patients.

Chloë Fitzgerald and Samia Hurst
BMC Medical Ethics, Vol. 18, No. 19

Quick Safety! is a monthly publication of the Joint Commission that outlines an incident, topic, or trend in health care that could compromise patient safety.

Quick Safety Issue 23 is devoted to acknowledging the existence of implicit bias in health care and outlining corrective actions to consider.